President Jimmy Carter Diagnosed With Cancer

Following a surgery to remove a mass from his liver, former president Jimmy Carter revealed that he has cancer. The 90-year-old says that cancer has spread to various regions in his body and that he will release more information “possibly next week” when he knows more about his condition.

Carter has remained active in his later years, joining the staff of Emory University in 1982 and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity once a week. His championing of issues like healthcare and democracy won him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

This summer, Jimmy Carter finished promoting his new book A Full Life in which he discusses his concern about his family history of pancreatic cancer—his father, brother, and two sisters all died of the disease. The liver is often a place where cancer spreads, but not usually the source of it. Therefore it is likely that the 39th president could have the same disease that his family members did.

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wish Carter a full recovery. “Jimmy, you’re as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you,” said Obama in a recent statement.

Hopefully Jimmy Carter’s activeness, resilience, and modern medicine will bring him to a full recovery.